When your home business is your source of income, quality furniture prevents physical ailments that can result in loss of your livelihood.
The selection of ergonomically designed furniture is important for everyone.
The single best place to invest rather than just spend your office dollars is in your furniture. Whatever type of home business you have the right furniture can save stress as well as physical problems. An ergonomic chair is worth a great deal as it can help you accomplish more.
As a home office worker you will spend considerable time at your desk, perhaps at the computer. The mouse pad with a wrist rest may be the cheapest good thing you can do for your hands and wrists.
Get a good ergonomic designed chair. This reduces strain on your back, can provide numbness or a ‘tired’ feeling in the legs and – if those two problems continue long enough could travel up the spine into tension in the shoulders, neck and head. When the headaches start productivity falls off at a faster rate than before. By having a chair that supports your back and shoulders it saves a great deal of problems in the life of your business as well as personal life! Even if you spend $100-200 for a good chair that fits you it is money worth it long term.
Adjust your chair first so that when you sit at your desk you’re not reaching up or down. By having your arms and wrists level it reduces strain and goes a long ways towards preventing symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.
It should also be adjusted to where your feet are firmly on the floor. Being able to sit comfortably, with your hands on the desk and legs roughly parallel to the floor reduces physical strain. Get a chair with lower back support, adjusted so your back is firmly against this support.
Sitting in an improperly adjusted chair for a half day can result in shoulder or arm strain, tired legs, an achy back, neck tension and headaches. To have a productive day at the office you must be able to focus on work, not on alleviating pain from an ill-adjusted chair. With a good chair you don’t have this problem.
Look at the center of your monitor – you should be able to do this looking straight forward. Looking off to one side increases strain on your neck and difficulties in seeing the screen increases eye strain.
Once your chair is adjusted then adjust your keyboard tray in line with the monitor. Lower the keyboard tray nearly to your lap with arms and shoulders in a comfortable position, supported by the arm rests on your chair. If you need to adjust the tray so that the closest edge to you is slightly higher then the other side of the keyboard do so…making sure that your wrists are straight, not bent up or down.
Don’t overlook things like the armrests, size of chair, seat tilt, wheels and material. While cloth will take periodic cleaning if you live in a warm part of the country vinyl or other material might be very uncomfortable. A seat space that is not too large or small is ideal, with enough padding that is comfortable to sit in. Find one of a fabric that you like.
While the color is the last thing to look at, in view of health and comfort, some places allow for a variety of colors. Make sure your chair is ANSI/BIFMA compliant for safety. This chair is one purchase you want to make in person. Sit in it, try it out, and make sure it’s comfortable. This is something you just can’t tell for sure online.
Get a good chair and a properly sized desk. Many things in your office you can make do with substitutes but this is one area to not compromise on.